Ben Dogra was Singing a Much Different Tune in 2011

I didn’t want to write another article about Adrian Peterson until both sides had come to a resolution. But how it has gone from so-good to so-bad in a matter of months is crazy to me.

More from Sporting Sota

So, I went back into the archives, searching for what the Vikings had done so wrong to upset Mr. Peterson.

What I found might reveal the true character of both he and his agent.

Dogra’s thoughts of Minnesota were entirely different back in September of 2011, when Adrian cashed in on a contract that guaranteed 30 million dollars with the possibility of over 100 million.

Judging by the following quote, it seems playing for the Vikings definitely used to be in Peterson’s “best interest”.

“Adrian loves playing for the Minnesota Vikings,” Dogra told The Associated Press shortly after he and Adrian scooped a boatload of cash from Minnesota. “Deep inside he wanted to finish his career with the Minnesota Vikings.”

That made me laugh, but it got better.

“(Adrian) said, ‘Look, I’m under contract. I’m just going to play,'” Dogra continued. “He never contemplated holding out. He understands the business side of things. He’s very smart like that. He only knows one speed in life, and that’s all out. That’s why they call him, ‘All Day.'”

So in those two quotes we learned Adrian wanted to finish his career in Minnesota, he understood the bind of a contract and also understood the business side of things.

The controversy started three years later after week 1 of the 2014 season, when Peterson’s child abuse allegations sent the Vikings into a tail-spin. His thin-skin was obviously punctured when the Vikings agreed to place him on the commissioner’s exempt list. But wasn’t that part of the business side of things? Along with being the subject of national scrutiny post-Ray Rice, they had just lost one of their biggest sponsors in Radisson Hotels. Certainly this was a business-move, not personal.

In fact, that all came after Rick Spielman sweated bullets in-front of the bloodthirsty national media after the Vikings originally decided to keep playing Peterson until proven guilty.

Either Peterson and Dogra have since forgotten about the business side of things, or they were saying what they had to say to funnel millions of dollars into their bank accounts.

Adrian Peterson has done and said a lot of good things in Minnesota, but that was when he was enjoying his riches with no controversy and getting the ball 25+ times a game in an offense that revolved around him.

But I believe when the going gets tough, you find out what kind of character a man has. For Adrian Peterson to completely turn his back on a franchise and fan-base that has been attached to him since day one, solely because he can’t face the music… Well, I’ll let you be the judge.

Next: For Vikings Fans, Patience is Necessary

Oct 8, 2014; Conroe, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson watches as attorney Rusty Hardin (striped suit) speaks to the media outside of the Montgomery county courthouse. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Home/Adrian Peterson